


cantina band

by catmanu



Category: Political RPF, Political RPF - Canadian 21st c., Political RPF - France 21st c.
Genre: Birthday Presents, Fluff, M/M, Macdeau, guys i'm so embarrassed when i write fluff help, sophie is the mvp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-08 03:22:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19862686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catmanu/pseuds/catmanu
Summary: “Speaking of your birthday, that’s exactly why I’m calling.”“Oh?”“I’ve got a little present for you.”Now Justin’s heart is leaping, as though it’s his seventh birthday instead of his forty-seventh.  “Y-you do?”“Yes.  Do you know how to FaceTime?”





	cantina band

It's not even noon yet, but the presents have all been opened, Christmas music has been thoroughly blasted throughout the place, and lunch is almost ready. As tradition calls for—and of course, Christmas comes with traditions, and birthdays come with traditions, so to be born on Christmas means there's a _lot_ going on at once—Justin's wearing a big, fuzzy red Ugly Christmas Sweater with a maple leaf covered in white pom-poms.There used to be some tinsel involved, but it fell off a couple yeas ago.All in all, it’s been a fantastic Christmas-birthday so far, even though there’s someone important missing from it and that’s eating at his heart the tiniest little bit.It doesn’t matter.He’s with his family and more people are arriving later and there’s presents and food and hot chocolate and snowdrifts outside and everything’s cool.

He’s left his phone face-up on the kitchen counter and as he and Sophie are finishing mixing up the batter for his birthday cake—baked from scratch, of course, that’s the best way to do it!—it rings. "Emmanuel," the screen proclaims to the entire world, or at least to the entirety of the Rideau Cottage kitchen, where the person he wants to see Manu’s call the _least_ is standing right next to him.

He really should have put Manu in his phone under some kind of code name… _Good job, Justin!Good fucking job_.

“Ummm…” he says, his hands already starting to sweat.“Uhh…that’s weird.”

Sophie looks him in the eye, her eyebrows raised.“Aren’t you going to answer it?”

“I’m, ummm, with you.And I don’t know why he’s calling…”

“Justin.”Sophie rests her hand on his on the countertop.“Don’t be rude.He’s probably calling to wish you a happy birthday.Take the call.”

“Well, okay…”

“I’ll finish up the cake,” Sophie is saying as he swipes right to answer.His heart has started to pump hard in his chest.He knows his voice is going to be shaky, and…

“Uh, hello?”

Sophie smiles and waves him out of the room.“Go!Privacy!” she mouths, and he suddenly wonders exactly what she knows.

“Justin?”

Manu’s voice, the smooth way he says his name in French, isn’t helping Justin’s heart slow down one bit.“Hello, Emmanuel!What a surprise to hear from you!”He’s overcompensating for being nervous. His voice is too loud.

Manu laughs.“I take it you’re not in private?”

“Yes, yes.How’s your Christmas going?”He gets into his study and shuts the door.“I was in the middle of making my birthday cake with Sophie, Manu. _Now_ I’m in private.”He sprawls out on the couch.“I _miss_ you.”

Maybe Manu will tell him he misses him too.But today is one of those forward-moving, En Marche days.“Speaking of your birthday, that’s exactly why I’m calling.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve got a little present for you.”

Now Justin’s heart is leaping, as though it’s his seventh birthday instead of his forty-seventh.“Y-you do?”

“Yes.Do you know how to FaceTime?”

“Oh, my God.Manu.Of _course_ I know how to—Do you even pay attention?Being up on the latest technology is such an important part of my im—”

“So in other words, _yes._ ”

Justin sighs and then perks up as the thought hits him.“Are you going to let me see you?Are you naked, sweet kitten?” _Do not even_ , he thinks, sending those words down between his legs. _Even if he’s naked.Don’t even try!_

“ _Actually_ , Justin, I’ve got my granddaughter here, and she’s going to—“Justin’s phone alerts him that Manu wants to FaceTime.He accepts comically fast and there he is, his Manu’s face, his Manu’s eyes, his nose his smile his—

Justin’s never seen him _not_ in the Élysée before, other than international summits, of course, and he wonders where Manu and his family are.He’s about to ask, but he’s distracted by the cozy-looking navy blue sweater Manu is wearing.It brings out the lighter blue of his eyes so well.Justin thinks of how unfair it is that they have to be so far away on his birthday.And sure, maybe that’s a seventh-birthday thought and not a forty-seventh-birthday thought, but that’s just how it is.

The image shakes just a little.Someone must be holding the phone.

“As you can see, I’m sitting at my piano,” Manu says. Justin feels a bit stupid for not noticing that earlier.Manu overwhelms him sometimes.“Are you ready?”

“For what?”

Manu smiles and without another word puts his hands on the keys and begins to play.His hands are already moving so fast, almost in a blur, that Justin is distracted and it takes him a moment to recognize what Manu is playing.But then—but then—he sure _does_ recognize it!

“The _cantina band song?_ ” he gasps, though he doesn’t know if Manu can hear him over his playing.He tries it again, louder.“The _cantina band song?_ ” he yells at his phone.“Don’t you always tell me you have ‘no idea what a Star Wars is’?”

Manu just smiles and keeps playing. Justin doesn’t know the first thing about piano, but it must be a good arrangement, it must be good. Because everything Manu does is good.Because Manu has taken the time to do something Star Wars-themed for his birthday.Because Manu is _Manu_.

He’s going through the song twice, and Justin’s eyes dart between his face of concentration and his wildly-moving hands.It’s over too soon, and he realizes his mouth is hanging open in the way Conservative voters love to mock on Twitter.Manu is grinning at him now and sure, he’s happy, but he looks proud of himself, too.

He’s taken the phone now and his smile is closer to the camera.“Did you like it?” he asks.

“Manu, are you kidding me?Of course I liked it.I—I loved it.And I love _you_.”He’s never loved Manu _more_ , but he’ll save that for another time.

“Happy birthday, my sweet Canadian,” Manu says softly.

And now it’s really, truly a happy birthday.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the fluff! I have no idea how to write it!
> 
> I'm a former piano player myself, so I watch a lot of piano videos on youtube, and one day this ["Cantina Band ragtime duet"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNi2oxH37vo) autoplayed. And when you have a ship where one person is a Star Wars nerd and the other is a piano player, well...the fic almost writes itself.
> 
> Follow me on insta @emmanuyell !


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